McLaren Challenges Porsche 911 Turbo

McLaren is directly targeting the classic Porsche 911 Turbo with its next hypercar. The McLaren P13 will start in the $200,000 pricing bracket and strive to offer temptation to fans of the Porsche 911 with similar pricing and optimum performance perks. This will mark the British carmaker’s third supercar and the company hopes that the performance and pricing positioning will amp up overall sales volume, to the tune of an ambitious 2,500 units per year. The tentative release date for the P13 is 2015.

Now that the McLaren P1 and the MP4-12C convertible have been released, the brand is creating something to compete directly with the flagship Porsche 911 Turbo

Ron Dennis of McLaren told England’s Autocar that the P13 will slot below the spendier and speedier MP4-12C, a supercar favorite. Codename P13 will be based on the carbon fiber MonoCell chassis of the MP4-12C, which was engineered for a somewhat smaller car. You can think of it as a mini-12C, with the same engine as its big brother. It will offer a compact pricing and power combination that will either gain traction or spin out.

McLaren has been immersing itself in new technology and increasing speed while experimenting with market positioning

That engine is a mid-mounted 3.8-liter V8, though it will be downgraded from 616 to 450 horses. Though the chassis and engine of the P13 and 12C are quite similar, that is where the similarities end. The new sibling will resemble the 903 horsepower McLaren p1 hybrid on the exterior.

The exterior will likely be very sleek, aggressive and true to the brand’s form

Overall, the McLaren P13 will work provide an option somewhere between premium exotic sports cars like the Aston Martin Vanquish and a base Porsche 911. While it is certainly a more affordable option, do not trade in that Escalade just yet.